LIONS FIND NEW HOME AT BONGANI MOUNTAIN LODGE

Excitement has been at an all time high at Bongani Mountain Lodge in Mpumalanga, a property managed by AHA, where a magnificent pride of lions was recently released into the lodge’s surrounding Mthethomusha Game Reserve.

The lions were captured in Sabie Park by the Mpumalanga Parks and Tourism Association as part of a relocation programme, and kept in the reserve’s game capture boma. Through the dedication and commitment of the reserve’s wildlife team, the two lionesses aged three and six years have shown remarkable resilience and have been integrated back into the wild.

Neil Bald, Managing Director, said the successful release has been a very rewarding and heart-warming experience for the lodge, which was followed by an even greater celebration with the arrival of three new cubs, the offspring of the lionesses and the four-year old resident male.

The lions’ progress has been eagerly followed by the reserve’s wildlife managers who reported that both the lionesses and their cubs had fully habituated to the area, proving that with care and attention, wildlife integration was possible.

Bald said these lions were a welcome addition and that they would further improve the quality of game viewing in the reserve.

“The wildlife at the reserve is constantly changing and adapting to the environment, and visitors to Bongani Mountain Lodge can look forward to the thrill of seeing these remarkable creatures, long recognised as the ‘King of the Jungle’,” Bald commented.

The 8 000-hectare Mthethomusha Game Reserve is world-renowned for its San rock art. This marvellous reserve is characterised by prominent granite outcrops and crags, and is home to three distinct varieties of woodland flora and a wide variety of mammals and birds.